Main Page
http://water-awarenes.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page Welcome to the group 1 wiki page. We have decided to research the some of the most important issues affecting fresh water in modern life. From farming to big industry, fresh water is about as important as air is to the human body. At 7:48 a.m on December 7th 1941 the forces of Imperial Japan attacked the naval station at Pearl Harbor Hawaii. Marking Japans entrance into World War II, we remember it for a much more personal reason. With more than 2400 seamen lost, and six of eight pacific fleet battleships sunk, the surprise attack drove FDR to seek a declaration of War from the U.S congress. Though many reasons could be cited for Japans entrance into the war, yet there were two things that Japan lacked which drove them to conflict with the Allies. Japan needed rubber and oil, both of which had been embargoed against Japan. Japan went to war to obtain regular access to two commodities. Materials that were vital to any modern industrial nation of the period, and without them Japans economic autonomy would be limited against the other world economies that did have inexpensive access to those items. Now one might say “we know countries will wage war against others for rare commodities such as oil or rare earth minerals, and what does any of this have to with the topic of this paper and wiki? Water isn’t a traded commodity and there is plenty of it some may even argue. And in many ways they would be right, the Earth is covered about 71% with water, and more than 90% of that is salt water, and of course water exists in glaciers and deep within the earth, but how much of that water is drinkable? And how long will it be before water is no seen as off limits to commodiites brokers to trade, move or horde? The following are excerpts from a varityy of resources that outline the topic of our collective research paper. Investopedia calls water the ultimate commodity " Global Shortage, rapid industrialization and increasing agricultural use have contributed to worldwide water shortages. Areas that have experienced water shortages include China, Egypt, India, Israel, Pakistan, Mexico, parts of Africa and the United States (Colorado, California, Las Vegas and the East Coast), to name but a few." source '' Global Water Distribution "For an estimated explanation of where Earth's water exists, look at the chart above. By now, you know that the water cycle describes the movement of Earth's water, so realize that the chart and table below represent the presence of Earth's water at a single point in time. If you check back in a thousand or million years, no doubt these numbers will be different! For a detailed explanation of where Earth's water is, look at the data table below. Notice how of the world's total water supply of about 333 million cubic miles (1,386 million cubic kilometers) of water, over 96 percent is saline. And, of the total freshwater, over 68 percent is locked up in ice and glaciers. Another 30 percent of freshwater is in the ground. Thus, rivers and lakes that supply surface water for human uses only constitute about 22,300 cubic miles (93,100 cubic kilometers), which is about 0.007 percent of total water, yet rivers are the source of most of the water people use" source Who is Going to Control It? The controversy of water being bought and sold has taken center stage in places like California. "If you want to put a human face on California’s epic drought, Ken Tucker’s will do. The Central Valley farmer has 400 acres of thirsty almond trees that are in real danger of dying. Tucker stood before the Merced County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday pleading with the five officials and his fellow farmers not to try to stop a controversial water transfer deal that will ship groundwater from Merced County across the county line north to farmers in Stanislaus.“I’m here as a farmer today begging for a little water just to keep my trees alive. I’m hoping that the board will see that we need help, and we tried to look at other sources and we cannot find any other water,”'' he said. At that point, Tucker paused and turned around to face the sea of plaid shirts and jeans in the audience, his voice emotional and face pained.I’m just like the rest of you here, trying to make a living,” he said. “I can’t find any other water sources, and I’m asking for a little help.” Farmers in Merced County are sympathetic but not inclined to help. They’ve got their own worries: severely reduced water deliveries; wells going dry and the land sinking as groundwater is sucked out. Two of their fellow county landowners are about to get very rich by selling the water right out from under them to the Del Puerto Water District, which serves 45,000 acres of farmland – including Tucker’s 400 – mostly in Stanislaus County. source The ever increasing threat to the availability of clean potable water in the first world is rapidly becoming becoming a major source of concern for not only farmers, but for consumers like you and me. The compounding effects of climate change, and human intervention has not only taken a toll on the industrialized nations, but will continue to brutalize smaller, less resource rich nations. The Water Cycle Explained The water cycle has no starting point, but we'll begin in the oceans, since that is where most of Earth's water exists. The sun, which drives the water cycle, heats water in the oceans. Some of it evaporates as vapor into the air; a relatively smaller amount of moisture is added as ice and snow sublimate directly from the solid state into vapor. Rising air currents take the vapor up into the atmosphere, along with water from evapotranspiration, which is water transpired from plants and evaporated from the soil. The vapor rises into the air where cooler temperatures cause it to condense into clouds. Air currents move clouds around the globe, and cloud particles collide, grow, and fall out of the sky as precipitation. Some precipitation falls as snow and can accumulate as ice caps and glaciers, which can store frozen water for thousands of years. Snowpacks in warmer climates often thaw and melt when spring arrives, and the melted water flows overland as snowmelt. Most precipitation falls back into the oceans or onto land, where, due to gravity, the precipitation flows over the ground as surface runoff. A portion of runoff enters rivers in valleys in the landscape, with streamflow moving water towards the oceans. Runoff, and groundwater seepage, accumulate and are stored as freshwater in lakes. Not all runoff flows into rivers, though. Much of it soaks into the ground as infiltration. Some of the water infiltrates into the ground and replenishes aquifers (saturated subsurface rock), which store huge amounts of freshwater for long periods of time. Some infiltration stays close to the land surface and can seep back into surface-water bodies (and the ocean) as groundwater discharge, and some groundwater finds openings in the land surface and emerges as freshwater springs. Yet more groundwater is absorbed by plant roots to end up as evapotranspiration from the leaves. Over time, though, all of this water keeps moving, some to reenter the ocean, where the water cycle "ends" ... oops - I mean, where it "begins." source Water as a Human Resource Since antiquity, irrigation, drainage, and impoundment have been the three types of water control having a major impact on landscapes and water flows. Since the dawn of irrigated agriculture at least 5000 years ago, controlling water to grow crops has been the primary motivation for human alteration of freshwater supplies. Today, principal demands for fresh water are for irrigation, household and municipal water use, and industrial uses. Most supplies come from surface runoff, although mining of "fossil water" from underground aquifers is an important source in some areas. The pattern of water withdrawal over the past 300 years shows the dramatic increases in this century. A timeline of human water use: * 12,000 yrs. ago: hunter-gatherers continually return to fertile river valleys * 7,000 yrs. ago: water shortages spur humans to invent irrigation * 1,100 yrs ago: collapse of Mayan civilization due to drought * Mid 1800's: fecal contamination of surface water causes severe health problems (typhoid, *five (cholera) in some major North American cities, notably Chicago * 1858: "Year of the Great Stink" in London, due to sewage and wastes in Thames * Late 1800s-early 1900: Dams became popular as a water management tool * 1900s: The green revolution strengthens human dependency on irrigation for agriculture * World War II: water quality impacted by industrial and agricultural chemicals * 1972: Clean Water Act passed; humans recognize need to protect water source EPA Policy Sustainably managing our water infrastructure is one of the biggest challenges facing the water sector and is essential to protecting human health and the environment and realizing the goals of clean and safe water. Communities across the country are facing challenges with their water infrastructure—often comprised of aging systems in need of significant upgrade and repair. The investments made now in water sector infrastructure can have profound impacts on long-term community sustainability. Through this policy, EPA is helping to ensure that federal investments, policies, and actions support water infrastructure in efficient and sustainable locations to best aid existing communities, enhance economic competitiveness, and promote affordable neighborhoods. The policy was released in response to a request in the FY 2010 President’s budget. In developing the policy, EPA reached out to federal, state, and local officials to obtain input. These stakeholders provided a number of key insights on water and wastewater infrastructure sustainability that EPA took into consideration. The Clean Water and Drinking Water Infrastructure Sustainability Policy emphasizes the need to build on existing efforts to promote sustainable water infrastructure, working with states and water systems to employ robust, comprehensive planning processes to deliver projects that are cost effective over their life cycle, resource efficient, and consistent with community sustainability goals. The policy encourages communities to develop sustainable systems that employ effective utility management practices to build and maintain the level of technical, financial, and managerial capacity necessary to ensure long-term sustainability. source Current Threats to Fresh Water Freshwater ecosystems are essential for human survival, providing the majority of people's drinking water. The ecosystems are home to more than 40 percent of the world's fish species. Despite their value and importance, many lakes, rivers, and wetlands around the world are being severely damaged by human activities and are declining at a much faster rate than terrestrial ecosystems. More than 20 percent of the 10,000 known freshwater fish species have become extinct or imperiled in recent decades. Watersheds, which catch precipitation and channel it to streams and lakes, are highly vulnerable to pollution. Programs to protect freshwater habitats include planning, stewardship, education, and regulation. Threats *The creation of dams and water-diversion systems blocks migration routes for fish and disrupts habitats. *Water withdrawal for human use shrinks and degrades habitats. *Runoff from agricultural and urban areas hurts water quality. *Draining of wetlands for development depletes habitats. *Overexploitation and pollution threaten groundwater supplies. *Invasion of exotic species can harm native animals and plants. *Global warming may lead to devastating floods and droughts. Solutions *Restrict the construction of dams. *Provide incentives for farming business to reduce the use of pesticides. *Establish protected wetlands areas. *Regulate water withdrawal for human use. source What can we do to preserve it? Definition of Greywater Definition of Grey Water What Is Grey Water? Grey water (spelled alternately as greywater or gray water) is the recycling of ‘waste’ water that is generated in homes and commercial buildings through the use of water for laundry, dishes, or for bathing. Grey water differs from black water which is wastewater used in toilets and designated for sewage systems. Grey water can be used for a variety of purposes such as irrigation or toilet flushing and is collected from: *Sinks *Showers *Bathtubs *Washing machines *Dishwashers Grey water collection and distribution systems can be simple or complex. The basic components of a grey water system include: Diverters: Connected to water pipes to direct waste water from indoor systems into the grey water system Overflow: Prevents grey water from overloading the system by directing excess into the sewer system Filter: Can be added to remove soap, food particles, dirt and sand, debris, and other larger contaminants from the grey water Distribution: Used to direct grey water into toilets or an irrigation system. Can include drip irrigation or subsurface irrigation trenches for landscaping, and so on Surge tank: A temporary holding vessel for containing water until it is needed Pump: For pushing grey water through the distribution network, though some rely solely on gravity Treatment: A filtration system to further purify grey water by removing any remaining contaminants to make grey water suitable for irrigation Some concerns have been raised with the use of grey water for irrigation and so on. For instance: Water from kitchens can contain levels of fat, food residue, and other contaminants Bathroom grey water can be contaminated with non-biodegradable soaps and other personal care products Laundry detergents and dishwasher detergents that are high in phosphates and other chemicals can have a negative impact on the environment when used as grey water Water used for washing dirty diapers and other sanitary products can contain human waste which poses health problems for the use of this grey water However, many grey water systems can be designed to overcome these concerns and make use of the valuable resource that is grey water. There are many benefits to installing a grey water system in your home or building. source Slide1.jpg Slide2.jpg Slide3.jpg Slide4.jpg Slide5.jpg